


Save Me

by Lexilindale35



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 10:18:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8098312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexilindale35/pseuds/Lexilindale35
Summary: I nodded my head, "fine. But if she's dead by morning, her blood is on your hands," I pushed past them and then let out a slow breath stopping before I left the room, "and if we are too late, I won't ever forgive you.""Trust me Cassian. I watched my sisters, the only two people I've ever loved, be thrown into that cauldron. You don't know what that's like, to watch someone you love turn into something they hate. To have it happen all over again at the hands of the same monster who hurt them in the first place.”"Someone I love was thrown into that black magic too Feyre. I failed her that time and so did you. But I promised myself I would never fail her again. I won’t let him take her from me. Not again.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> I can't stop writing these. If anyone has prompts I'd love to give them a try.
> 
> I just love Cassian and Nesta so much.

_Maybe we just aren't supposed to be together._  

The words rattled around my head for the hundredth time. The worst part was she had meant them. She said them without regret or pain in her eyes as she threw them over her shoulder. She stomped out the door and I just stood there staring after her. I had let her go. I let her walk off with her fire burning hot and heavy. Her anger dripping on every single word she threw at me. 

My hands shook. She had been gone for hours now. Our fights never lasted this long. Her sister usually calmed her down and she found her way back home. Her home here with me. I winced, wondering if maybe I had done it this time. Maybe I had made her so angry she didn't want to be with me.

The mating bond wasn't there. Maybe she was choosing to walk away. But I felt her in my soul. I knew it was a matter of time before she felt me too. I knew there was a thread between us. She just hadn't accepted herself yet. Which meant she hadn't accepted us yet either.

Afternoon came and yet there was still no word from Nesta. Gods above I loved her, she had to know that. She had to know she was my heart, my soul. She was my light, my salvation. I vowed to protect her, I would never do anything to hurt her. No matter how much we fought she was the woman I wanted to spend my immortal life with.

She knew what that meant. She knew my history. I didn't love easily. I mean sure I had my fair share of women. I got around before I met her. But that was the past, not one of those women had ever gotten into my heart the way Nesta had. She was the very center. The reason I fought to get my wings back. She was a storm wrapped in flesh. 

She was my storm, my mess.

And I had let her go. I let her walk out angry and alone. I didn’t stop her, I didn’t take back the words I said. I wanted to beat myself up. I wanted to find her and promise to never let her go again. I wanted to tell her she could hit me, she could throw all the angry words she wanted at me, as long as she was back here safe with me. 

When the finally sun set on Velaris and Nesta still hadn't made her way home I knew it was time to go to the House of Wind. She always went to Feyre whenever she was upset. She had to be there. I needed to apologize to her. I had to make sure she was safe.

Something stirred in my soul, begging me to hurry. 

\---

Rhys was sitting by the fire when I arrived, "Cassian, what are you doing here so late?"

Feyre was on the couch reading. I couldn't read their expressions. If they knew where Nesta was they were playing the part really well. If they were hiding her here they weren’t letting it show on their faces. Usually they were all for putting us back together. We had our fair share of fights, since we were both so stubborn. Our High lord and lady were always making us apologize to each other. But tonight, they looked like they truly didn't know why i was here. 

The air left my lungs as I felt myself lose it. I knew she wasn't here, I could feel it in my bones.

"Have you seen Nesta?" My voice was soft. It was more controlled than I even felt in that moment.

Feyre closed her book, "not today. What's wrong Cassian?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, "we had a fight. She left this morning but she hasn't come home and I just thought. I thought she was here so I didn't come after her. But now. I think something is wrong."

Feyre stood up and grabbed my arm, "I'll see if Elain has seen her. Don't worry Cass, we'll find her. I’m sure she’s just somewhere cooling off. You two always fight, she’s probably tired of hearing me defend you.”

I tried to fight the tears that gathered in my throat but it was too hard. I nodded trying to believe her younger sister, "please," I whispered softly, "we have to find her. I screwed up Feyre. I should've went after her. But I didn't."

She squeezed my hand, "Nesta knows you love her, we all do. We will find her Cassian."

Rhys squeezed my shoulder. I could tell my brother was trying to soothe me as if I was his mate. If he stayed calm he thought I would too, "I'll go see if Azriel and Mor have seen her. You just sit here and take a moment."

I all but fell onto the couch. I couldn't stop hearing her scream, the way she did when she was thrown into that cauldron. Sometimes I woke up, covered in sweat that felt like blood. The nightmares from that day still haunted me. The nightmares of me not being able to save her, to stop her from losing herself.

I closed my eyes and ran my hands over my face. I failed her twice now. First when Hybern threw her and Elain into that water and now. Something was wrong, if she wasn't here I knew something terrible had happened. She wouldn't go to the spring court. She wouldn't go to Elain. She always went to Feyre when we fought.

Mor and Azriel wouldn't know what she was either. I was wasting time sitting here wondering where she was. I ground the palms of my hands into my eyes and tried not to scream. I wished for the bond. I begged for the gods to give me a connection to her, to find a way to save her.

I couldn't even find her scent anymore. It had always been woven into the fabric of mine and yet it was gone. It was gone because I let her walk out. I didn't deserve to remember her scent. But what I wouldn't give to feel anything. Her anger or her fire. Hell I’d even let her knee me in the groin again if it meant she was back here with me.

As long as she was safe I would take anything over nothing.

"Cassian," Azriel was the one who called my name. I looked up and my brother was standing there in his leathers. He must have just gotten back.

His shadows were dancing, "did you find her? Please tell me you found her."

He shook his head, "no. But there were signs of a struggle. Someone took her Cassian. She was on her way here and then."

He stopped when the tears filled my eyes. I shot up off the couch, anger rolling through my muscles. I needed to hit someone, to hurt them. I needed to punch the wall, find Nesta and punch whoever had taken her. I swallowed my tears and looked at my brother.

"Who?"

He shook his head, "we aren't sure. But I have a guess."

"Hybern," I answered before he could. 

He nodded his head, "we will get her back Cassian. I promise."

I could feel my heart shatter as I imagined her being held prisoner. I never wanted her to feel the pain I did while laying on that cold floor. I would never wish for her to know what it felt like to be that scared, to be so unsure of what kind of future lay ahead of you. 

I couldn't let her suffer, I had to find her, "we go tonight."

"No," Rhysand came into the room, followed by Feyre, "we go in the morning. You need to sleep, to rest. Running in without a plan will only get you both killed."

He used his high lord voice. I sighed, knowing he was right and hating it, "Rhys. I need to get to her."

"And we will," Feyre answered, "she my sister Cassian. I want to go right now too. But my mate is right," I winced at that word, "we need a plan. You need sleep. We can save her tomorrow."

"You can sleep in your old room," Rhys said as I glared in their direction. 

I nodded my head, "fine. But if she's dead by morning, her blood is on your hands," I pushed past them and then let out a slow breath stopping before I left the room, "and if we are too late, I won't ever forgive you."

"Trust me Cassian. I watched my sisters, the only two people I've ever loved, be thrown into that cauldron. You don't know what that's like, to watch someone you love turn into something they hate. To have it happen all over again at the hands of the same monster who hurt them in the first place.”

My eyes flashed and my nostrils flared. I turned around slowly, a predator assessing his prey. Feyre had no right to say those things. Not after the last three years. I didn't know what that was like? I couldn’t believe she still didn’t truly believe in the way I felt for her sister. Rhys stood in front of Feyre, always the protective mate. He saw the anger flash in my eyes.

"Someone I love was thrown into that black magic too Feyre. I failed her that time and so did you. But I promised myself I would never fail her again. I won’t let him take her from me. Not again.”

Rhysand nodded and Feyre's eyes filled with tears. I felt the stirring in my soul, my blood boiling. My world wasn't the same without her. It didn't work without her here beside me. I closed my eyes trying to remember her scent, trying to remember why we had been fighting in the first place.

"Cassian —" Feyre started to say something. I just shook my head.

I didn't wait for her to say anything else, I left the room, holding onto the pain inside my heart. The pain that reminded me somewhere out there my love was still alive.

I just had to find her.

\---

Sleep didn't come to me. I tossed and I turned, begging for rest, exhaustion seeping into my bones. Feyre and Rhysand were barely worried. Why should they be? They were mates, neither one of them was in trouble. No this was my problem and I should've realized I needed to solve it before coming here. 

I had to save Nesta. I just had to find where she was.

My wings were completely healed. Somehow I had gotten lucky, the healers told me over and over again that I had been spared. At the time I didn't believe it, the pain had been unbearable. But now I knew they were right. My wings were as good as new almost a month after the start of that war.

Nesta helped me those months. She did it all in secret, afraid of her feelings, afraid of herself. But she slipped into my bedroom late at night and held my hand. She wiped away my tears and sang me a lullaby. The first person to ever sing me to sleep. The first night she did it I cried. She thought it was because of the pain in my wings. But it was more than that.

I cried because she was the first person who truly cared. She eased my pain even more than I ever thought possible. She held my hand and comforted me. She promised me I wasn’t alone and I truly believed her. It was that night when I thought the bond would come. When it didn’t, I was afraid she wasn't my mate.

But for some reason that didn’t matter to me. Because I loved her. Heart and soul she was who I chose. So I didn’t push it, I just asked her to stay with me. Three years we were together, three years and I still felt the same for her. I looked at her in wonder and amazement. She still surprised me and I still worshiped her.

It was her scent I clung to when I fell asleep. The first scent I looked for when I woke up.

I still couldn't believe the bond hadn't been made. It didn't matter to me, but I could tell Nesta was worried. She was afraid I’d meet my mate and walk away from her. I tried to tell her that wouldn’t happen, it was only a matter of time before it slipped into place. A matter of time before we could claim each other. Everyone else could see it, it was Nesta who was taking her time understanding her new fae body.

My room was cold, so was my bed. I shivered without her, feeling as if I had been the one taken. She was cold, she was scared. If Hybern had her the gods only knew what he wanted and what he was doing to her. I couldn't stop hearing her screaming, missing her cold feet pressed against mine. Nesta might be a ball of fire when she was awake, but she always fell asleep curled up in my arms.

The tears fell silently as I clung to my pillow. I didn't have to be strong for anyone else. Since Nesta wasn't here I let myself fall apart.

My wings ached, a phantom pain of the time they spent inside a cast. I buried my head in my pillow, trying not to scream. I just wanted to take back all the things I had said. All the horrible hurtful things I said trying to make her snap. Because I didn't mean them. I wanted her. I always wanted her.

I fell onto my back, fighting off more tears. Crying would get me nowhere. I needed to think, to form a plan. I wasn't going to wait for Rhys and Azriel to come up with nothing. I would save her, because Nesta was mine. I claimed her, and I could only hope that after today she would claim me too. 

The woods. I had to get out of this house. I sat up, the room was bathed in darkness. The sun wouldn't rise for hours. But I didn't care, I had to get out there. She wouldn't make it until morning. I could feel it in my gut. This was a message, one that would destroy me more than the others. Hybern had lost, he would take everyone we loved one by one, until we lost as well.

I grabbed my leathers and thought of my training. There was a cave in the woods. It led to the vaults where they probably had her. They couldn't take her all the way back to their land in a day. No they were holding her close. Because I could feel her. I just needed more, I needed that instinct to tell me where she was.

I grabbed my shirt, her scent assaulting me. I closed my eyes and breathed it in. I memorized it, letting it soothe the aches inside my soul, my heart. It would lead me to her. I pulled my shirt on, her scent mixing with mine. 

I reached deep down on whatever it was that kept telling me she was in trouble. I gasped as I felt it, bright and burning, the bond. Then I felt her fear shoot through me. I heard her screams, they were worse than my nightmares. I knew where she was, and I wasn't waiting until morning.

I had to save my mate.

\--

The woods were freezing. My leathers weren't helping with the rain, but at least the water washed away my tracks. My hair was sticking to my neck, my knuckles were white on the hilt of my sword. I didn't care how much blood was spilled. I would save her.

Even if I had to give my wings back. Even if I saved her with my very last breath.

I slide down the hill, the cave was right there. I could feel her heart beating like it was my own. I could feel her fear, I could taste her tears. The bond was fresh and I couldn't stop the instincts that flooded through me. I needed to see her, my body begged me to touch her.

All thoughts left my head the moment I walked into that cave. Because there, strung up on chains and dangling from the ceiling of the cave, was my mate. She was a bloody mess, bruises blossomed over her skin. A sob caught in my throb. I had a feeling her face was even worse than her back.

He had beaten her. Stabbed her. Whipped her. My wings fluttered as the anger hit me. I wanted to tear them all to pieces for taking her. But now I would burn them all to ash for hurting her. I took in a deep breath. My hands shaking as I slipped into the shadows before the guard spotted me.

My hands clenched into fists. My jaw was tight. My teeth ground together. I stood there watching as long Hybern came walking over. He had a smirk on his face, taking me back to the day he shredded my wings. He enjoyed this, he loved torturing everyone.

I couldn't focus on him. My eyes went back to Nesta. Fresh blood dripped down her back. One of the guards whipped her awake. The sound of the leather hitting her skin made me physically sick. Tears filled my eyes, angry tears. I wanted to snap his neck, feel his bones crush under my hands. I needed to save my soul. 

"Nesta," he said her name and the bond flashed. He had no right to look at her, she was mine. He had no right to say her name, to be in this cave alone with her. She was mine, my mate, my soul. He didn't deserve to breathe the same air as her.

"Asshole," her voice was weak, but the fire held true. I could hear the hatred laced through her words.

He laughed, "oh how I've enjoyed this game of name calling. I told you what would happen if you did not give me what I wanted."

"I won't tell you shit about my family," her legs swung in the air. My heart pulled as she called the inner circle her family. 

Hybern nodded, "I don't care about your family. Feyre maybe. But no I want to know about him."

"There's a lot of hims in that house," she answered, a spark in her voice, "you have to be more specific."

He didn't answer her. He pulled a dagger out of his pocket and before I could blink he threw it at her. She hung there in the air like she was a target. I had to hold myself back as Nesta let out a scream. A scream that shattered my heart, that throbbed our bond.

Hybern smiled as blood dripped from her shoulder where the dagger was buried deep, "tell me how they put him back together. Tell me what magic they used."

I couldn't see her face, but I felt her snarl. Even laced with pain she was the same Nesta, angry and stubborn. She held her own, the fire in her soul kept her alive. I could feel it now myself. It was a storm no one wanted to see unleashed.

"No," she spat blood on his boots. I stayed hidden in the shadows, watching the king pace in front of her, "you will have to kill me before I tell you anything."

He raised his eyebrows, "well then. What about you. What powers do you possess?"

I felt the bond pull, I felt Nesta searching for me. I was the source of comfort in this moment. It broke me to know that when she was dying, she thought of my face. I saw it there in her mind. A memory of her watching me sleep, a smile on her beautiful face.

"Too many for you to guess," she grunted the words out as the guard grabbed the dagger and ripped it out of her shoulder. She tried as hard as she could not to scream. But even biting down on her lip didn't stop the sound from escaping her lips. 

I wanted to run to her, take her off the chains and pulled the pain out of her tiny body. I wanted to wrap my arms, my wings around her and promise this time I would never again fail her. But I couldn't, I had to wait until Hybern was gone. I had to stay hidden, watching, listening as he tormented my mate.

All the while knowing he was doing this because he wanted to get to me.

\---

It took over an hour for Hybern to grow bored. He left with his guards leaving one person watching over Nesta. I counted to ten in my head and then walked out of the shadows. I buried my knife deep in his neck before he even noticed me. I grabbed the keys off him and all but ran to her. I unlocked the shackles around her feet first.

I walked around to face her, my hands framing her face as light shone in through the hole in the cave ceiling. She looked exhausted, she looked like she was in pain. She looked so beaten and broken, but there was still my Nesta. I could still see her in there, holding on and believing someone would save her. 

 _Where there is life, there is hope._ Her voice was the lullaby I heard as I looked at my mate, hurt and bleeding. She still held out hope, she still believed I would save her. My hands were tight on her waist, I needed to feel her, to know this was real. I squeezed her hips gently and her eyes snapped open.

When her eyes found mine she looked surprised, like she thought she was hallucinating. She shook her head, moving her legs, trying to get away from me. She looked at me like I was a ghost, like I would hurt her worse than Hybern had been planning to.

"You aren't real," her eyes brimmed with tears, "God I wish you were real. But you aren’t. But I’m sorry, Cassian. I’m so so sorry.”

I let out a slow breath, "I'm real love," I pushed her sweaty blood covered hair out of her face. Her eyes closed again without permission and she winced. I worked faster on getting her out of the chains she was in.

I couldn't stop staring. Her face was covered in bruises. She looked like one giant bruise as I unlocked the shackles around her waist. I swallowed my anger, my need to kill Hybern. I focused on Nesta, I tugged on the bond begging her to stay with me. I needed her to open those beautiful blue eyes and to keep them open.

Nesta was light as she fell into my arms. I held her tightly, my hand cupping her cheek, "Nesta. Sweetheart you're safe now."

"Cassian?" Her voice broke, her eyes were swollen. She sounded confused, like she really thought I had been a ghost standing here seconds ago. Like she didn’t think she was going to make it out of here alive.

I nodded, wishing I could press my lips to hers, but afraid I'd end up hurting her instead, "I'm here. I've got you love."

Her hand reached up and touched my cheek. She smiled weakly up at me. Her eyes found mine and I knew in that moment the bond had just been waiting. She had always been mine and I would always be hers. She was my heart, my light. She was my everything and I had been foolish to think otherwise.

"I knew you'd save me," her voice was weak, her magic failing her. She was so broken it hurt me to look at her beautiful face.

I nodded, carrying her gently, "I'll always save you Nesta. I'd go through hell and back to save you, my mate."

Nesta's eyes were closed, she passed out from the pain that throbbed through her tiny body. I wasn't sure if she heard me, but I knew I had spoken the truth. I would do everything for her. She was my heart, my soul. Bond or no bond I would never push her away again. 

I walked out of the cave, my wings spreading out before I could even think about it. I shot up into the sky and held her close, careful with her injuries. He got back to the house in less than ten minutes.

"Cassian!" Feyre stood up the moment I stepped into the house. 

I glared at my high lady, her eyes going wide when she saw how beat up her sister was. Everyone came closer when they say me holding Nesta in my arms, "I found her. No thanks to you."

"She's still your high lady Cassian," Rhysand said slowly, "you will give her respect."

A growl ripped out of my chest as Azriel came to take Nesta out of my arms. I held her closer, her blood soaking into my leathers. I felt the bond pulse, I didn’t like him looking at her, not when she was so hurt. There was a primal instinct inside my bones telling me to make sure they knew she belonged to me. 

I shook my head before Azriel got any closer to us. Rhys's eyes went wide as he looked from me to Nesta and back again, "don't touch her."

Mor smiled, "they finally mated," she said softly, all our ears picking it up, "she's his mate."

I walked out of the living room leaving a trail of rain and blood on my wake. The healers found me as I laid her down in my bed and started to help her. Her magic was stifled, there had been poison on one of the blades. The poison was slowing her magic down, it was burning through it slower than normal.

"Save her, please," I begged as I sat down beside her bed and laced our fingers together. 

They spent the better half of an hour cleaning her wounds and pressing medicine onto her skin and into her mouth. They tried to push me away, but I wouldn't move from her side. I pressed kisses against her forehead and the back of her hand. My leathers were disgusting but I refused to change.

No one came to see her. They gave us our space. 

I pulled the clean sheets up over her shoulders after the healers left. She was sleeping, with the aid of a tonic they gave her to ease her pain. I smoothed down her hair and felt the bond settle, as if all I needed was her here in my bed. She looked so small in my big bed, but she looked like she truly belonged.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, "I love you Nesta."

A throat cleared and I turned to see Feyre standing in the doorway, "I'm sorry Cassian. For not going out with you last night."

I nodded, "she's here and she's safe. It doesn't matter anymore."

"She's lucky to have you as her mate," Feyre whispered, "she needs someone to love her the way you do. Intense and loyal. Like a warrior. She needs a warrior."

I swallowed my anger and looked at her sister, "I've never loved someone the way I love Nesta, even before the bond. I need her, Feyre. I just don't always know how to show her I do."

She came into the room and put her hand on my shoulders, "I know. She knows Cassian. She's strong, after all she's your mate."

I couldn't help but smile as the tears filled my eyes, "my mate. I don't deserve her."

"But you do," she whispered softly before wrapping her arms around my shoulders and kissing my cheek, "and now we're officially family, big brother."

I blushed as she left, my fingers still holding Nesta's. We were family, no matter what Nesta was mine. No one even questioned it the moment I brought her home. I smiled as I leaned in and kissed her cheek gently. I ran my fingers through her hair, praying to the gods above that she would be okay with the bond when she woke up.

I knew I wouldn't get any sleep tonight, but I didn't care. I would watch over her for the rest of my life if it meant her eyes would open and she'd offer me that bright smile of hers once more. Sleep didn't matter, not until my Nesta was healed.

So I settled into my chair, getting ready for a long night. She had spent more than her fair share of nights watching over me. It was only fair that I got a chance to repay her. I cleared my throat and then started to sing to her softly, the lullaby she had offered me all those months ago.

I sang to her the words she had sang to me. The bond we shared pulled, the thread connecting us stirred. I smiled down at my mate, marveling at how after five hundred years lucky I had finally find her.

\---

Nesta slept for two days. I didn't let go of her hand the entire time. Not even when Rhysand came in telling me how badly I smelled. Or when Mor tried to get me to eat. I wouldn't move, I wouldn't let her wake up alone. I didn't want her to wake up to anyone else but me. Maybe it was the bond that wouldn’t let me move, or just my own stubborn pride.

Either way I held her hand and changed her bandages. Everyone else came and went but I was a fixture beside her bed. I refused to leave, to move, until she finally woke up.

When her eyes finally fluttered open my heart stopped. Because the bond was begging me to pull her into my chest. But I knew she was still sore. I stayed in my chair as she spoke softly, "Cassian," she winced as she looked at me.

I smiled, tears making my vision blurry, "my love," I whispered leaning down and brushing her hair out of hair, "I'm here."

She winced again as she tried to sit up. After a moment she reached out and touched my cheek. I felt her pain, but I also felt her happiness inside my soul. Her hand connected with my cheek as her eyes settled on mine. She smiled, "kiss me."

She didn't have to ask me twice. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers. They were soft and rough, a few scabs were scattered over the softness, where she had bit down in pain touched my lips. I ran my tongue over her cuts, wishing I had the magic to put her back together again.

"I love you," I whispered as I pulled away, "I'm so sorry for everything I said."

She shook her head and then pressed her finger against my lips to stop me from going on, "it doesn't matter. We both said things we didn't mean. I love you too," she smiled slightly even though I saw how sore she was, "not just because you're my mate."

"You know?" I whispered softly as she kissed me again.

Nesta nodded, "I knew the moment he took me," she sighed as she sat up slowly. She leaned back against the headboard with a groan, "I felt it, I felt you. I wished for you the entire time he had me in those chains. But my mind played tricks on me."

"You didn't think I was real."

She shook her head, "no I didn't. But I'm so glad you were."

Her small hand pressed against my cheek as she kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around her, the bond happy, it's edges soft as I felt the love I had stored up for five hundred years pour into this woman I never thought I'd find. But here she was, in my arms and claiming me as her own.

"You owe me a dance," she whispered against my lips.

I laughed, "as soon as you're better," I whispered as she pulled me into the be with her, "don't worry love. I don't ever plan on fighting with you again."

Her eyes sparkled, "really? I've heard wonderful things about making up."

I laughed, it was deep and rich. I felt happy, in that moment I let go of my anger and pain and I felt happy with Nesta there in my arms. I pulled Nesta into my chest and shook my head, "you'll be the death of me woman, I swear."

I heard her giggling as she held onto me, "I really do love you Cassian. I'm honored to be your mate."

"You are my equal. I saw your fire Nesta, in that cave I felt it. It didn't scare me because I know you are the other half of my soul," I brushed away a tear as she leaned her head against my chest, "it is I who am honored to claim you."

She kissed my shoulder, her mind at a loss for things to say. I could read her better than anyone else, because she wasn't used to someone caring about her this way. She wasn't sure how to handle compliments, how to let someone take care of her. But she was willing to try and learn, to let me be there for her. 

"You stink," she said after a moment, her nose wrinkled.

"I didn't want you to wake you up alone," I felt exhaustion seep into my bones now that I was in bed. It was soft and warm and holding Nesta felt like home, "I haven't showered."

Nesta laughed, burrowing in closer, "I think I can stand the smell as long as you promise to shower when you wake up. You look exhausted."

"I am," I whispered struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Sleep my love," she whispered in a deep voice. Her fingers were trailing along my tattoos. I drifted off to sleep holding my mate, and knowing there was nowhere else in this world where I belonged. After five hundred years I had found my place. I had found finally found myself.

 


End file.
